We’ve read stories about families who decorate trees, and even snowmen, for the birds and animals. Some people go all out with lemon and orange slices, several different types of bird food, and animal themed shaped feeders. This year we finally got around to trying the tree, but we did a very small version.
The main thing we did was to string cranberries and popcorn. I explained to the kids that people used to use cranberry and popcorn strings to decorate their trees and homes. There is something very homey and pretty about a cranberry and popcorn string. This was my first time ever stringing cranberries and popcorn. I threaded four needles, one for me and one for each child, with sturdy thread. I tied a knot in each string and tied the end of the string around a cranberry. Our cranberries were looking a little old since they were left over from Thanksgiving. The nice thing though was that the needle went through them easily. I also read that stale popcorn actually works better, but we made do with fresh. The popcorn did tend to crumble. We have nice fluffy popcorn from the Boy Scouts, I’m thinking that the more round kind might work better.
All three of my sons had trouble keeping the needle threaded. I spent most of my time rethreading needles instead of threading on the treats. One of my sons kept poking himself with the needle. I’ll buy some thimbles before we try this project again. I’ll also get some needles with bigger eyes so I can teach them how to thread their own.
We hung our popcorn and cranberry stands on a small tree in our yard. We scattered the leftover popcorn and cranberries below the tree. We had a couple of leftover orange slices and apple slices from lunch that we arranged on a nearby log.
I think the tree for the birds is something we’ll do again. We’ve enjoyed watching the birds peck at the popcorn. No one seems too interested in the cranberries or the oranges. The apples were quickly stolen by a squirrel.
Also See:
Frugal Bird Feeding: Food for Less
Bird watching
Stranger in the Woods – Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick